Colossians 3:22-25
While slavery is no longer legal today, it was a prominent feature of society in the first century AD. It was not at all like the slavery of America, but more along the lines of employment (albeit the idea of being a slave to work does not stir up any positive thoughts). For this reason, it is common (and I would agree) to apply this passage to our working relationship with our employer. I was kidding with Lyanne last week about changing the words of these passages to make it more personal. In the process, I could see how difficult these words must have been for the slaves of the first century. So just for kicks, let me try to rephrase these verses to drive home the emphasis a little more for each of us:
________________ (insert your name here), obey your supervisor in everything; and do it, not only when he/she is looking and to win his/her favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
Note the attitude behind our good behavior: with sincerity (not two-faced) and out of reverence for the Lord. It is the Lord Christ whom we are serving.
Note how we are to work: with all our heart (even when no one is looking).
Note why we are to work this way: we will be repaid according to what we do.
Three times in these four verses the idea that we work for God is stated. And it is for this reason our work ethic should be exemplary and full on for God. Not that God is a task master that we ought to work hard. Of course the passage does say that we will be repaid for doing wrong. The emphasis seems to be that we ultimately work for someone who we really want to please, namely God. That may not always be the case for our human employers. They can make our lives miserable at times. They can be mean-spirited and slave drivers. They can cause us to drag our feet, to give us bad attitudes, to want to stay in bed and only give an ounce of effort. But that’s a human supervisor. What about God? He has our best interest in mind; He does not give us more than we can bear; He desires to train us to become better servants; and He has an awesome retirement plan! When we begin to lose sight of our heavenly employer, we can begin to serve from a human perspective rather a heavenly one.
How is your attitude at work these days? Remember that we ultimately serve Jesus (incidentally, so does your supervisor). Let that truth govern the way you work. Work with all your heart. Work hard even when they aren’t looking. Be diligent because God has good things in store for those who do so.
